Hot Images Share with X It shows the suspect in the murder of Rachel Morin, a mother of five who lives in Maryland.
He raped and murdered the mother of his five children. Deportation or death penalty? pic.twitter.com/Ho4uDy62G4
— Marna 💋💄🍺 (@GigaBeers) June 16, 2024
Verdict: False
The image, originally provided by the Associated Press newsroom, shows Cristian Bahena Rivera, who faces first-degree murder charges for the 2018 death of college student Molly Tibbetts. According to ABC News, Victor Antonio Martinez Hernandez was arrested in connection with Morin's death. Additionally, a spokesperson for the Harford County Sheriff's Office confirmed that Martinez Hernandez is not in the X-ray image.
Fact check:
Rachel Morin's mother, Patty Morin, criticized Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for calling her daughter “the person who was killed” when discussing her recent killing. Fox NewsAccording to the outlet, Morin said Mayorkas' comments about his daughter were a “political statement.”
The X-image, which has been viewed over 2 million times at the time of writing, purports to show the suspect in Morin's murder. The caption for the image reads, “He raped and murdered the mother of his 5 children. Deportation or death?” The image shows the suspect handcuffed and wearing a black and white jumpsuit.
However, the image does not show Morin's killer. The image was originally Associated Press NewsroomThe photo shows Bahena Rivera, who faces first-degree murder charges for the 2018 death of college student Tibbetts.
“In this Aug. 22, 2018 file photo, Cristian Bahena Rivera is escorted into the Poweshiek County Courthouse for his initial court appearance in Montezuma, Iowa. Rivera is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Mollie Tibbetts, who disappeared on July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa. Rivera pleaded not guilty during his court appearance on Wednesday, Sept. 19,” the image caption reads.
Similarly, ABC NewsMartinez-Hernandez was arrested in connection with Morin's death. The photo of Martinez-Hernandez included in the ABC News article bears no resemblance to the man in the X-ray. Additionally, on June 21, Reuters It said the X-ray images that were circulated did not show Morin's suspected killer.
According to ABC News, Morin was killed while hiking in August 2023 and her body was found on the Mama & Papa Heritage Trail. Martinez-Hernandez, who entered the U.S. from El Salvador, was arrested after DNA found at the crime scene linked him to a robbery in Los Angeles in 2023, where his DNA was also found, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Was a Fulton County elections worker recently arrested for election fraud?)
Bahena Rivera was convicted of first-degree murder in 2018 for the stabbing death of Tibbetts. NBC Chicago report.
Harford County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Christy Hopkins confirmed to Check Your Facts in an email that Martinez-Hernandez is not in the X-shaped image.
“That photo is not of Victor Hernandez, the man we arrested for the murder of Rachel Morin,” Hopkins said.
